Hyderabad: Civic heads told to take steps to prevent seasonal diseases

Hyderabad: The Director of Municipal Administration Satyanarayana on Monday directed all the Municipal Commissioners and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to take precautionary measures to prevent seasonal and vector-borne diseases and mosquito menace in the city.

An order was issued by the Director asking the Municipal officials to prepare an action plan to prevent diseases by taking up anti-mosquito measures to prevent dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

The Director asked the officials to take effective sanitation measures and ensure hygienic conditions. ULBs are asked to take up anti-larval measures to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, desilting of all drains during the week to ensure free flow of drain water and rainwater, ensure prevention of rainwater/waste water from gathering and creating water pools /cesspools in low-lying areas, ensure clearing of all drains/channels for free flow of the water through the outlet storm water drain desilted.

The Director also asked the MCs to drop anti-larval oil balls once every Friday, and update the cesspools every Thursday. Officials are asked to conduct a survey and release Gambusia fish in ponds and water bodies as they feed on mosquito larvae, which helps restricts the breeding of mosquitoes.

He further directed the officials to observe Dryday Friday (DFD) every week by visiting all community places including government offices, ward offices, community halls, schools, hostels, and religious places. They were also instructed to take up anti-larval measures clearing stagnated waters in unused tanks, unused cement tanks, metal drums, earthen jars, rainwater harvesting tanks and evaporation coolers (Hot and Dry areas), coconut shells, tyres and other dumped containers.

The Municipal Director also asked to control the fly menace and asked all MCs to take up anti-fly measures by spraying nuvan (five to 10ml in a bucket of water by spraying or sprinkling or wet mopping) where ever fly menace is existing and adequate sanitation measures have to be taken up to prevent the breeding of flies specifically near the markets, slaughterhouses, chicken mutton centres, Community Congregation places, public toilets, bus stands, and cart stands.